MPS Foundation

What MPS Foundation does

MPS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 39-1929112) that serves as the official fundraising and grant-making arm of Milwaukee Public Schools. Originally founded in 1998 and re-established in 2016, the foundation channels philanthropic capital into district-wide programs serving MPS's roughly 70,000 students across more than 150 schools. Its core programs include Learning Journeys (which has cumulatively served more than 100,000 students), the UNSIL student leadership and belonging program (18 schools, 3,000+ students), the STEAM Fair (700+ students from 55 schools in 2025), the Classroom Support Fund pilot (26 schools), the Let Us Play playground initiative (26 playgrounds), and a portfolio of 30+ scholarship opportunities that distributed more than $160,000 to 48 students in 2026.

The foundation operates a hybrid revenue model combining corporate sponsorships, individual donations, foundation grants, and fundraising events such as the Celebration of Scholars and Fore MKE's Future Golf Classic. Named corporate partners include GE HealthCare, Educators Credit Union, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, which co-fund scholarships and signature programs. The organization is intentionally lean, with a staff of 4–5 employees, leveraging the existing MPS district infrastructure as its primary distribution channel rather than building parallel delivery operations.

Strategically, MPS Foundation's value proposition is its exclusive structural alignment with MPS, enabling it to deliver donor-funded programming at scale without duplicating district overhead. Its primary growth levers are programmatic expansion (Classroom Support Fund scaling, STEAM Fair growth, scholarship portfolio broadening), corporate partnership development, and recurring special-event fundraising. The foundation does not operate as a technology platform and has no disclosed AI, software, or data product lines; its outputs are program participation, dollars distributed, and student outcomes achieved through partner schools.

Name

MPS Foundation

Legal name

Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://mpsfdn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MPS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fundraising arm of Milwaukee Public Schools, channeling philanthropic capital into district-wide programs — scholarships, STEAM, leadership, and classroom support — serving more than 70,000 students across 150+ schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Educational foundation services
• Scholarship administration
• Student enrichment programs
• Fundraising events
• Community philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The foundation raises funds through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, annual fund appeals, event fundraising (golf outings, galas), and specific project/school donations. Funds are distributed to support scholarships, classroom supplies, and educational programming.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MPS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization that serves as the dedicated fundraising arm for Milwaukee Public Schools. It raises funds through donations, sponsorships, and events and distributes them to support scholarships for graduating seniors, classroom supplies, experiential learning (Learning Journeys field trips), STEAM programming, arts, cultural awareness, college and career readiness, health and wellness initiatives, and playground revitalization across nearly 70,000 MPS students.

Product overview

MPS Foundation is a nonprofit charitable organization (501(c)(3), EIN 39-1929112) that operates as a collection of educational programs and fundraising initiatives supporting Milwaukee Public Schools. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including scholarships for graduating seniors (30+ opportunities awarding $160,000+ annually), the Learning Journeys field trip program for K-8 students, the Classroom Support Fund for teacher supplies, UNSIL Instruction with annual World Fair, STEAM Fair competitions, Let Us Play playground revitalization, and Junior Achievement 3DE programming. These programs are funded through donations and operate across nearly 70,000 MPS students. The organization does not offer a software product but rather administers educational and scholarship programs for the school district.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scholarships for Graduating Seniors Administers more than 30 diverse scholarship opportunities for graduating MPS high school seniors, awarding more than $160,000 in total scholarships in 2026 to students from 14 MPS high schools, with recipients across multiple intended career fields.
• Learning Journeys Program Free educational field trips pairing classroom instruction with real-world experiences at Wisconsin's museums and cultural institutions for MPS students in grades K-8.
• Classroom Support Fund Pilot program providing 26 MPS schools with dedicated funds for traditional school supplies, technology, playground equipment, health and wellness materials, and classroom grants; delivered via vendor partner EZ Office Products.
• UNSIL Instruction and World Fair United Nations Schools of International Learning curriculum implemented in grades 4-8 at 18 MPS schools, where students learn about the UN and 193 member countries, culminating in an annual World Fair.
• STEAM Fair Annual district-wide showcase of student projects in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math from K4 through 12th grade, organized into three categories: Science Inquiry, Engineering Design, and Research Study.
• Let Us Play Initiative transforming outdated outdoor schoolyards into dynamic green spaces for MPS students, athletes, and neighborhood residents through collaboration with Milwaukee Public Schools, Milwaukee Recreation, and the Green Schools Consortium of Milwaukee.
• Junior Achievement 3DE Model Educational model engaging MPS students in experiential learning about business and entrepreneurship through JA BizTown (5th grade) and JA Business Park (8th grade) programs delivered in partnership with Junior Achievement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Awarded $160,000+ in scholarships to 48 students in 2026
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Milwaukee Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation is the official fundraising arm for Milwaukee Public Schools, working directly with the school district to distribute funds for scholarships, classroom support, and educational programs.
• College PossiblecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner that helps communicate scholarship opportunities and recruit students to apply through MPS high schools.
• Milwaukee RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the Let Us Play program to transform schoolyards into dynamic green spaces.
• ReFlo / Green Schools Consortium of MilwaukeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeads the Green Schools Consortium and partners with MPS Foundation on Let Us Play playground revitalization program.
• Junior AchievementmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLearning Journeys partner for BizTown (5th graders) and Business Park (8th graders) educational experiences.
• GE HealthCaremajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the MPS STEAM Fair, supporting student innovation in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.
• UW-MilwaukeemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Celebration of Scholars 2026, helping celebrate and invest in MPS scholarship recipients.
• Wisconsin Central School BusmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Celebration of Scholars 2026.
• Godfrey & KahnmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor and shareholder firm providing legal services; sponsor for Celebration of Scholars 2026.
• Educators Credit UnionmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of the Classroom Support Fund pilot program providing supplies to 26 schools.
• EZ Office ProductscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVendor partner for Classroom Support Fund enabling teachers to order supplies online for direct delivery to schools.
• Milwaukee Fire DepartmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Survive Alive House Learning Journey where 2nd graders learn fire safety.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mpsfoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MPS Foundation